Justice News

District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 2015 Slaying in Northwest Washington

Defendant Fired Multiple Shots at Victim on Georgia Avenue NW

WASHINGTON – Sean Green, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and other charges for killing a man in July 2015 in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.

Green also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses. The verdict, on Aug. 9, 2018, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Nov. 2, 2018.

According to the government’s evidence, on July 30, 2015, at approximately 9:25 p.m., Green encountered the victim, Derrick Black, 24, who had flashed a gun at him in the area of the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue NW. Green left the area and immediately retrieved his own gun for the purpose of killing Mr. Black. Green did just as he had intended. He returned to the area where he last saw Mr. Black and fired multiple shots at the fleeing victim, causing him to run into the street and collapse to the ground from gunshot wounds to his head and back. According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Black never fired a shot at Green. Moreover, an unknown individual safely escaped Green’s gunfire while running alongside the victim into the street.

Green was arrested on Oct. 19, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.

Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson and Michelle D. Jackson, who prosecuted the case at trial, as well as Law Clerks Julie Bessler and Siri Palm, who handled all aspects of courtroom technology.